1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panel structure and, in particular, to a method for manufacturing an electronic device panel consisting of a housing and a keypad.
2. Description of Prior Art
Following the continuous progress of technology, various communication products are successively integrated together. For example, a combination of a mobile phone and a GPS (Global Positioning System) makes a consumer possess many functions to use simultaneously, when he buys only one communication product, so that a lot of purchasing cost may be saved.
However, when a general user is purchasing a mobile phone, except for the consideration of its function, he also considers other factors, such as: innovative appearance and modeling, and/or mini-size, etc. Therefore, colorful patterns or three-dimensional textures are directly arranged onto the panel of a mobile phone in current market, to induce the product's added value and purchased desire.
As shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C, when a panel structure of a traditional mobile phone is produced, first of all, a plurality of plane patterns (or colorful patterns) 301 are printed onto the surface of a piece body 300 made of material of transparent PC (polycarbonate) film by means of ink printing process, then the panels with printed patterns 301 are thermally pressed into a three-dimensional housing 302 projecting out of the surface of the piece body 300 and, in the meantime, the panel patterns 301 are located at the inside of the three-dimensional panel housing 302, which is then cut into a single three-dimensional panel housing 302 that is again placed into a plastic injection mould, and interior of which is formed a layer of inner housing 303, after a plastic material is injected into the mould, whereby the printed panel patterns 301 are disposed between the piece body 302 and the inner housing 303 to make a protection body formed on the outer surface of the piece body 300, which may prevent the panel patterns 301 from being scraped by external objects.
However, although aforementioned panel structure may indeed prevent the panel patterns 301 from being damaged by external objects, it must consider whether the ink of the printed panel pattern 301 is eligible for being bent or is possessed of flexibility, when the three-dimensional panel housing 302 is undergone the thermally pressing process. If the ink itself does not possess flexibility then, when the piece body 300 is thermally pressed into a three-dimensional panel housing 302, the bending of the three-dimensional panel housing 302 will easily make the patterns that are printed by ink generate cracks, which will further incur the production of defective products and waste of material.
In addition, when the three-dimensional panel housing 302 to be injection molded with the plastic is placed into the mould, if the temperature of the plastic material injected into the mould is controlled inappropriately, the temperature will exceed the bearable temperature of the ink to deteriorate or damage the ink, which will in turn incur the production of defective products and waste of material.
Furthermore, when the three-dimensional panel 302 is placed into the plastic injection mould, since of no externally locating hole, its alignment requires special structure design to avoid position deviation after injection, so that the production yield can be promoted.